She couldn’t quite place why this notion for further closure presently existed in her mind, but it was preventing her from a sound sleep.

The story had served its purpose, her mom was left feeling content and engaged by her account of how the play at school had went for her and her siblings. It wasn’t the real account by any means, they had to exaggerate because their father’s camera had died out on them, but it was a satisfying yarn that had pleased her.

So why couldn’t she let it go?

Was there a detail she missed out?

She figured she had covered all the nitpicking basics covered. When she described how Millie fell off of the upper floor of the bar in an elastic string shoot-out, she made sure her mother knew she had been training for weeks for the stunt.

She was the most experienced at the creative nuances of play production. She knew how to craft a cohesive story, so what wasn’t so straight about it?

Part of her thought it might have something to do with how she thought less of Millie, often her regular nemesis, in this scenario. Here she was in actuality a lackey to Chloe Barbash.

And then it hit her.

Of course it would be Chloe.

And of course it would be related to the one other thing she had left behind when she closed the story out.

The one detail she had left unfinished.

The Sheriff.

Rudy.

In this reality, he was something much more simple to her. He was her son. The son she was barely there for, but would at the most urgent of emergencies, come to the aid of no matter the distance between them in terms of miles, lifestyle or ideology. Priorities were so much more tempered when you are protective of your own. There was no room for emotional compromise.

That is, until she herself was compromised.

She had let the story get away from her, but she relished it. She relished letting in that reality, to let loose, take a risk, take a stray elastic sting, and pass on, leaving what she left behind with strong words to live by, instructing him to take in as much air and life around him than anyone who treaded through life with such soft steps and much shorter breaths.

In this realm, her motherly instincts kicked in.

The deep lore she had established for herself…an outlaw who had rarely ever been there for her child due to the most dubious and troublesome business leading her astray and incarcerating her, was ushering in a desire for redemption.

In the land of the living, she had been inconsistent, as a spirit fit for the sky, she could look upon what kind of man she left behind.

So in order to sleep peacefully, she would spend her entire evening’s worth of dreams attempting that.

She envisioned the slick, crisp sunset hovered high above the backwater town, bringing a day glow sensation to those who dwelled in it.

The Sheriff took in this sensation while keeping a sharp eye trained on the funeral procession for his mother. He took out the mini-bellows that passed for his inhaler and took in a breath, he walked past the coffin, tenderly stroking the side of the brazen brown casket with his fingers.

He tapped a little diddy on the side, the first few notes of a song Louise pretended to have sang to him when he was little.

He took his leave of the procession and entered a tailor’s shop. He made a request.

Knitted spurs.

Louise could feel the other realm’s version of herself smiling warmly at him making specific mention of this, and she ascended to the highest point in heaven knowing he would not let his memory fade as long as his footprints remain engrained in the Earth.

She had that much faith in him.

Same applied to the version of him that awaited her in the real world. Where the truth was more complex for her, where the priorities were all over the place due to age, hormones, and vitality. Notions of love and compassion that overwhelmed her to such a degree she had to mask it in her day to day routine.

“Yeah, the idea is we list the name of the street we’re on, take a picture of the road in the town, post it online and then the customers who view it on their apps and whatnot can pinpoint where it is.

Wouldn’t it have made more sense to write the name of the business on the sign? By just having it read ‘here’, you’re not giving it much information

“And if anything, the fact the rival restaurant is right behind him will probably make everyone think he’s advertising THAT” Louise pointed out

“Linda, they’re honking at me” cried out Bob, “I also think one of them’s contemplating stepping out of his car, yep, he’s rolling up his sleeves. The sleeves are rolled. ”

“I think you should give Dad the all clear Mom”

Louise suddenly felt someone tug at her skirt, she peered around and found pocket-size Rudy from school commanding her attention

“Oh gee, that’s sweet of him…this is for saving him from those loons who loomed over him at lunch right? ” Tina asked.

“Yeah, thanks short stuff, it was my honour” Louise said, rubbing her hand across Rudy’s hair and scruffiying it up a tad.

“Aw, my little angel’s looking out for all her little cupcakes that begin with the same name”

“Don’t read into it Mom” Louise said, trying to cover her tracks. Linda gave her a knowledgeable stare, respecting her daughter’s desire to keep her true feelings for a Rudy of the regular kind private.

“Linda, for god’s sake, just write the address on the sign next time” Bob said

“Ok Bob, come away from the traffic, the kids have gotten me to change my mind”

Bob walked back, apologizing profusely to the drivers. It had been, however, too late to appease one of them, who had levelled his face with a mean right hook.

“We’re really going to have to hold family meetings if we’re going to plan big boosts for business” Bob said. Linda walked over to him and nursed his black eye.

Talk about all the things you take for granted
Wish them well as you move on
And who cares if the latest difference
Diminishes the sun
We see all the clearer stars
The light flickers through the dark
As hazy as our minds get
Our souls rarely stand apart
And if you say it’s all your fault
And you feel you’ve hung around too long
Remind yourself of what’s behind you
Don’t leave without a song

She liked to have more toothpaste on her toothbrush when polishing her teeth for a visit to the dentist.

She liked to have more than one television in her bedroom, in case one broke down.

She liked to buy more than one comic book every Saturday.

She liked to have a lot in life.

But then came dinner time.

Oh yes, dinner time.

Her mother had prepared a speciality. Two bowls worth of prime cut chicken laced with two kinds of Sophie’s favourite sauce, with rice and bread as side orders.

Sophie tucked into the rice, and she picked away at the contents of the bowl, taking one piece of chicken, two pieces of chicken, and a third, all from each of the two bowls.

…And then she stopped.

“Whatever is the matter dear?” asked her mother

Sophie folded her arms and stared sharply at her mother

“There’s not enough in the bowl” she said

“Whatever do you mean?” asked her mother

Sophie pointed to the contents of the bowls, there were still two pieces of chicken left in each.

“Not enough in each” she said.

“But what is the problem?” asked her mother.

“I want to have a full plate, I want more of it” snapped Sophie

“But there isn’t any more chicken” her mother explained

“What?” Sophie asked.

“I used it all up for this meal” her mother revealed.

Sophie scowled and kicked the legs of the table in a fit of loud, visible anger.

“I want more” she said

“Then all you have to do is pick the bits out of the bowl” said her mother

“But there’s not enough” Sophie said.

“Yes there is, certainly enough to fill you up for the day” said her mother

“But I wanted a much fuller meal” protested Sophie

“You can get more than enough from the pieces you have left ” her mother assured her.

Sophie did not seem to understand her.

“No, there is not enough in the bowl, I won’t eat more until there is more” she said, putting her foot down

“I can’t go to the store now dear, they’re closed at this time of day” her mother explained.

“Then I shall not eat another bite” said Sophie.

“Why must you be so silly?” said her mother, taking the bowls away.

“Why must you be so lazy and not add more to my meals?” snapped Sophie angrily.

“Go to your room” said Sophie’s mother.

Sophie did so, beginning to shed a few tears.

Her mother felt bad, and asked her husband if he could borrow a DVD of his.

She waited an hour or so, waiting for things to settle, then she went upstairs and entered Sophie’s bedroom

“Here, let me put this on for you” her mother said, putting a DVD into one of her two players.

Mother and daughter sat together on the bed, watching the DVD, it was a funny little movie about people with pointy ears making weird hand gestures and saying any one who put forth a nonsensical point or argument was “highly illogical”

Sophie laughed at the pointy-eared men, but she found her mother laughed more whenever they said “highly illogical”

“Why are you laughing Mummy?” Sophie asked.

“Because our argument today was just that…highly illogical. Logic plays a part in every conversation…it allows us to make sensible points when talking to one another. You thought there was not enough in the bowl, but logically, you should have still finished everything in the bowl regardless. You would still have had enough to eat. Your brain did not process that piece of logic”

“So I am like those pointy-eared men? I’m illogical?” Sophie replied.

“No, they are the logical ones, I’m one of them, I was using logic” said her mother

“Your ears aren’t as sharp as theirs” said Sophie.

Her mother laughed.

“What is it?” Sophie asked

“You just made a very logical observation” said her mother

Sophie smiled, “I am one of them then”

Mother and daughter held each other tight and continued watching the movie.

Later, as her mother put young Sophie to bed, making sure to give her more teddy bears to sleep with than her younger brothers and sisters in their own rooms, Sophie rose up from her bed and asked her mother a question

“When you make your special chicken next time…could you leave more in the bowl…is that…logical?”

Sophie’s mother did not have the stamina to argue logic with her daughter at this time of night.

“The only logical thing you need to know is my love for you is more than enough”